AUTHORITIES INTENSIFY CRACKDOWN ON FREE EXPRESSION

Human Rights Watch (HRW), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), International PEN and the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) have drawn attention in recent weeks to what they say is a renewed crackdown on free expression in Iran.

RSF, WAN and the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN (WiPC) have urged Iranian authorities to disclose the whereabouts of journalist Ali-Reza Jabari, who has been secretly detained since December 2002. He was arrested at his office on 28 December and taken to his home, where documents and computer files were seized, says RSF.

Jabari is a translator and contributor to several independent newspapers. He was quoted in a Persian-language newspaper in Canada, "Charvand," as saying Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameini, wanted the country's crisis to worsen, RSF notes.

On 11 January, Iranian courts ordered two independent newspapers shut down, reports HRW. "Bahar" ("Spring") was ordered closed for "insulting the authorities." It recently reported on a charitable foundation's substantial purchase of stocks. Two of the foundation's board members are high ranking members of Iran's powerful judicial body, the Council of Guardians.

The newspaper "Hayate-No" was also ordered closed after it published a 65-year old cartoon of United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressing his thumb against the head of a former US Supreme Court judge, HRW and RSF report. The judge was thought to resemble Iran's late spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khomeini.

Since April 2000, at least 90 newspapers have been ordered shut down in Iran, say HRW and RSF.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, dominated by religious hardliners, announced moves this month to increase surveillance of Internet use in the country, RSF says.

A new commission has been established and there are reportedly plans to submit a list of "illegal" websites to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. Members of the commission include officials from the intelligence and state broadcasting ministries.

The move came after the Intelligence Minister Ali Yunessi announced on 2 January that certain websites were "putting out rumours and disinformation about the regime's officials and organisations," notes RSF.

Visit these links:

- HRW: www.hrw.org">http://www.hrw.org/mideast/iran.php">www.hrw.org

- RSF: www.rsf.org">http://www.rsf.org">www.rsf.org

- Committee to Protect Journalists: www.cpj.org">http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2001/Iran_nov01/Iran_nov01.html">www.cpj.org

- WiPC: www.internatpen.org/">http://www.internatpen.org/">www.internatpen.org/

- WAN: www.wan-press.org